Leah Archer was just 12 years old when she hit her head on a rock and fell into a coma, one that doctors weren't sure she'd ever come back from. But when she wakes up four years later, she faces the struggle of recovery and fights to regain any hint...
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I CAN'T TELL exactly when it is that I started dreaming, but the moment his lips touched mine it felt like I was floating through the night sky.
My ears still pick up the hum of the party inside the house, but all of my attention is on the boy in front of me. His lips move against mine as my hand reaches up to cup the side of his face, but as soon as my fingers touch his cheek he's pulling away.
My mouth falls open as I gape up at him. He stands up, turning away from me and running a hand through his hair and down the back of his neck. He turns back to me, his eyes conflicted and full of emotions and mouth hung open just like mine. A sigh escapes from between his lips. "Leah, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have–"
Ignoring his rambling, I move my hands down to my sides and push up, like Miss Natalie and I had been working on for weeks. The result is as I hoped, and I'm soon standing on my own two feet without my crutches. Noah looks over at me, surprised and ready to help me stand, but I shock him by taking a step towards him. I nearly collapse into his chest, but before he can say anything I lift my head up and plant my lips back on his.
My actions take him by surprise and he freezes for a second before responding, both our eyes closing as we immerse ourselves in the moment. The kiss is slow and gentle, our mouths moving in synch, my hands gripping the front of his shirt as his find a spot on my hips. He holds my body against his as our lips meet in a dance only they know. One of my hands moves up to his face, making contact with his cheek and staying there this time. His mouth gently massages mine, and I nearly gasp out at the feeling.
It's is over way too soon, the two of us broken out of our daydream by the sound of voices getting closer to the back door. Noah reluctantly pulls away from me, his eyes wild as they stare down at me, emotion swirling in their hazel depths.
The back door opens and I accidentally jerk away from Noah, nearly falling over from my lack of crutches, but he catches me before I hurt myself.
"Careful," he whispers out, his words hoarse and low. Looking back up at him, I am still in shock of what happened just a few minutes ago.
"Hey, there you two are," Caleb's voice cuts through the air, shattering the intimate atmosphere Noah and I had created. It's probably for the better; I don't know what I'd do if we spent more time alone right now. "I'd been looking for you, Leah."
Noah clears his throat. "I, uh, went looking for her earlier and found her out here. We were just talking, the party inside was a little too much."
Caleb nods, not questioning his explanation. "Should we head out then? I think we could still get in a movie if we leave soon."
Noah looks down at me, and I nod, a smile breaking through my lips. "That sounds like a great idea."
My brother goes back inside the house to try and round everybody else up while Noah helps me get my crutches on. His fingers trace along the length of my arm as he helps me slot my forearms into the crutches, his hands leaving tingles of warmth over my skin. A slight gasp leaves my mouth as his fingertips trail over my wrist and up to my elbow before his touch leaves mine.
